Car-coupling



(ModeL) v 2 Sheets-Sheet; 1. A. F. '& J'. B. LEWIS.

GAR GOUPLING. No. 263,544. Patented Aug. 29, 1882.

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(ModeL) I 2 sheets- -sheet 2. A. I. & J. B. LEWIS.

GAR GOUPLING.- No. 263.544. Patented Aug. 29, 1882.

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ALBERT F. LEWIS AND JOHN B. LEWVIS, OF URBANA, OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 263,544, dated August29, 1882.

Application filed May 20, 188?. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, ALBERT F. LEWIS and JOHNB. LEWIS, citizens of the United States, residing at Urbana, in thecounty of Ohampaign and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Car- Uouplings; and we do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,and to letters or figarcs of reference marked thereon, which form a partof this specification.

Our invention consists ofa self-coupling earcoupler which can be used inconnection with cars having the ordinary bolt and link.

By means of our invention the cars can be coupled and uncoupled from thetop of the car, from the platform,or from the ground without danger tothe operator. They can also be coupled by pushing them against eachother. With our couplingtwo cars of a different height may be coupledtogether as readily as if they were exactly the same height, as shown inFig. 1, as the difference in the height of cars is only a few inches.Then one car is about fourteen inches lower than the other it willuncouple. This is an advantage when one car is thrown from the track, asthedangeroi'dragging other cars off is thereby avoided.

teferring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents two cars in the act ofcoupling. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the draw-bar with the topraised as required to uncouple. Fig. 3 is a top view of the draw-barwith the top removed. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the draw-bar.

A is an ordinary box car.

B is a platform-car.

O is the draw-bar.

G is the draw-head.

D is the top of the draw-head and draw-bar, pivoted or hinged to thedraw-bar G at a by the pin 1) or its equivalent.

G G are the two handles or levers pivoted at H H, and connected to eachother by the pin or bolt 0.

K is the short rod connecting the lever or handle G to the top of thedraw-head D.

E is the rod secured to the lever or handle G, and extending to the topof the car, and

provided at its upper end with a hook, cl, by,

means of which it can be held in position by the staple F. TherodE maybeso constructed that its lower end may be attached to the top of thedraw-head D and one or both of the levers or arms G G may be attached tothe rod, thus dispensing with the short rod K; but we prefer thearrangement first described, as shown in Fig. 1. The staple F maybedirectly over the center of the draw-head, thus bringing the rod E in aperfectly perpendicular line,- but we have placed the staple F on oneside of the center, giving the rod E an oblique course, in order thatthe spring ofthe rod may keep it on the side of the staple F farthestfrom the hook d, so that when the hook d is not used it cannot interferewith the action of the rod.

L is the link, which is held in a horizontal position by the weight ofthe top of the drawhead, D.

0 is the lug, hook, or pin behind which the link L falls when the carsare coupled.

fis the lug or book that lifts the link L for the purpose of uncouplingthe car.

9 is a recess into which the top of the lug, hook, or pin 0 fits whenthe top of the drawhead falls in its place after the link L passes overthe lug, hook, or pin 0.

h is a groove or recess into which the lug or hookf passes when the topof the draw-bead, D, falls in its place.

m-is the hand-hold upon the top of thedrawhead, D.

The mode of operating, as shown in Fig. 1, is as follows: As the carsapproach each other the link L strikes between the beveled fronts ofthelug, hook, or pin 0 and the top ofthe drawbar, D, lifting the top of thedraw-bar, D, and passing into the draw-head until itpasses over andfalls behind the lug, hook, or pin 6. The top of the draw-bar, D, thenfalls in its place and the link is secure, resting upon the lug orhookf. To uneouple the car the topot'thedrawhead, D, is raised, eitherby means of the rod E, the levers or handles G G, or by the hand-hold m.As the top of the draw-head, D, is raised the lug or hookflifts the linkL until itis high enough to pass over the lug, hook, or pin 0 and out ofthe draw-head. If it is required to push the cars upon the track withoutcoupling,

the top of the draw-head, D, can be kept in an rod will keep the hook (Inormally out of con elevated position by means of the hook (I restingupon the staple F, or by means of a hook, pin, or other device attachedto the levers or handles G G.

We do not limit nor confine ourselves to any particular size orproportion, nor to the precise form or arrangement of the parts hereindescribed, as they may be varied in many ways without departing from ourinvention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, iso 1. Thedraw-bar 0, having thedraw-head 0 formed integral therewith, and provided with the lug c andrecess h,in combination with the movable top D, pivoted thereto, thesaid top 1) being provided with the recess g and the lngfon its underside for the reception and retention of the link L, the top D beingcombined with and adapted to be held in a raised position by means ofthe rod E, provided with the hook (I, for engaging with the staple orpin 11, and secured to the front of the car in a slightly-bent position,so that thespring of the tact with the staple F, all combined andarranged to operate substantially as shown and described.

2. The elevating-rod E, secured to the front of the car in aslightly-bent position, whereby the spring of the rod may be utiliwd forkeeping the hook (I normally out of contact with the staple h, withwhich it is adapted to engage when the rod is elevated, in combinationwith the pivoted top 1) of the draw-bar 0, whereby the link L may bereleased, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

A. F. LEWIS. JOHN B. LE\VIS.

Witnesses as to the signature of John B. Lewis:

E. (J. MILLER. ALEX. A. Boat. Witnesses of A. F. Lewis:

MICHAEL GALLIGHER, L. A. STEINBERG-ER.

